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heel of Time: The Musical

by The Bards of Randland: 2011-04-16 | 6 out of 10 (1 votes)

Recent Categories: Loony Theories

2011 JordanCon Loony Theory Winner

We hope you enjoy the following theory which received the overwhelming support of the Loony Theory Panel participants at JordanCon, 2011. I couldn't help but laugh and yet at the same time appreciate the creative zaniness of these Bards. - Tam.

---

We brought up this "loony" theory at JordanCon today and it was a fan favorite, so without further ado the Alsobrook Brother's present Wheel of Time: The Musical.

The Basic Premise:

The people of Randland will defeat the Dark One with the power of Song.

TITLE: Eye of the World, CHAPTER: 25 - The Traveling People

"That's why they travel," Elyas said, "or so they say. They're looking for a song. That's what the Mahdi seeks. They say they lost it during the Breaking of the World, and if they can find it again, the paradise of the Age of Legends will return." He ran his eye around the camp and snorted. "They don't even know what the song is; they claim they'll know it when they find it. They don't know how it's supposed to bring paradise, either, but they've been looking near to three thousand years, ever since the Breaking. I expect they'll be looking until the Wheel stops turning."

The Specifics:

1. The goal of the Dragon Reborn is to unite all of Randland in song which they will sing at the Last Battle to defeat the Dark One.

2. The Song that the people will sing is the song that the Traveling People have been searching for. Also the reason that the Traveling People follow the Way of the Leaf is because they know that music not violence is needed to defeat the Dark One.

TITLE: Eye of the World, CHAPTER: 27 - Shelter From the Storm

"Peace be on you always," Elyas replied, "and on all the People." He hesitated, then added, "I will find the song, or another will find the song, but the song will be sung, this year or in a year to come. As it once was, so shall it be again, world without end. "

3. The Aiel truly failed because they stopped looking for the song, so they gain redemption by singing with Rand at the Last Battle. Notice that the Aiel have the tradition of singing when they go into battle.

TITLE: Shadow Rising, CHAPTER: 57 - A Breaking in the Three-fold Land

Singing rose to the pipes. Aiel boys stopped singing when they reached manhood, except for certain occasions. Only in battle songs and laments for the dead did an Aielman sing once he had taken up the spear. There were surely Maidens' voices in that chanted harmony of parts, but deep male voices swallowed them. "Wash the spears - while the sun climbs high. Wash the spears - while the sun falls low."

4. The Dark One is a being of discord who attempts to ruin the harmony of The Song.

TITLE: Dragon Reborn, CHAPTER: 21 - A World of Dreams

"The Dark One is the embodiment of paradox and chaos, the destroyer of reason and logic, the breaker of balance, the unmaker of order."

5. The Horn of Valere is needed at the Last Battle for Mat to play music for The Song. Mat created the "Band" of the Red hand for musical accompaniment.

6. Lews Therin's attempt to seal the Bore failed because he did not have women with him to harmonize with the men resulting in a lack of the necessary musical range. Rand will use both men and women, and the song will fill them all.

TITLE: Great Hunt, CHAPTER: 20 - Saidin

"Rand." He did not know whose voice it was....reached for the core of who he was, the core of what he was......will not..."Rand." The song filled him, filled the emptiness....touched stone, hot from a pitiless sun, cold from a merciless night.......not...Light filled him, blinded him. "Till shade is gone," he mumbled, "till water is gone...Power filled him. He was one with the sphere. "...into the Shadow with teeth bared...' The power was his. The Power was his. "...to spit in Sightblinder's eye..." Power to Break the World.

7. The One Power will be used to amplify The Song at the Last Battle. Callandor as well as all other angreal and sa'angreal will be used to make this as effective as possible.

8. Moiraine is needed at the Last Battle because she has learned the lyrics to The Song through interactions with the Aelfinn and Eelfinn.

9. Ogier are known far wide for the power of their song and its healing properties, which makes the Ogier important for the Last Battle and adds gravitas (deep, soft rumble) to the music in general.

TITLE: Great Hunt, CHAPTER: 15 - Kinslayer

Rand was not sure what it was Loial did, or how; soft as the song was, it caught him up hypnotically, filling his mind almost the way the void did. Loial ran his big hands along the trunk, singing, caressing with his voice as well as his fingers. The trunk now seemed smoother, somehow, as if his stroking were shaping it. Rand blinked. He was sure the piece Loial worked on had had branches at its top just like the others, but now it stopped in a rounded end right above the Ogier's head. Rand opened his mouth, but the song quieted him. It seemed so familiar, that song, as if he should know it.

10. The first Talent that Rand learns when setting out from the Two Rivers was not swordplay or wielding the One Power, but how to play the flute.

11. The Finns fear the power of music because they are especially attuned to the Pattern and it can control them.

12. The seals need to be broken because although they are protecting the people from the Dark One they are also protecting the Dark One from The Song.

13. Even the Black Wind recommends to Rand that he sing/scream his song.

TITLE: Eye of the World, CHAPTER: 45 - What Follows in Shadow

The voices seemed to whisper in Rand's ears, right at the brink of understanding, and within it. Flesh so fine, so fine to tear, to gash the skin; skin to strip, to plait, so nice to plait the strips, so nice, so red the drops that fall; Hood so red, so red, so sweet; sweet screams, pretty screams, singing screams, scream your song, sing your screams

As we know from prophecies and foretellings Rand must die and spill his blood on the rocks of Shayol Ghul and Alivia will help him die. That prophecy will be fulfilled in the following way. The Harmony of the people rings across Shayol Ghul and the Dark One is losing when suddenly Moridin appears from a gateway and begins to kill swaths of the singers. Alivia acts quickly and yanks Callandor from Rand's hand and stabs him with it. This kills him and Moridin as well due to their connection. But of course, The Song is a song of life. Rand is revived by the powerful chords, stands up, pulls Callandor from his chest, and then conducts the final verse of The Song with the shining sword in hand. In this way he defeats the Dark One.

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Comments

1

Tamyrlin: 2011-04-19

Well articulated Bards! I love the creativity and I will note that you originally said the Song would be used to kill the Dark One and I'm holding you to that. :) I expect to see you guys next year at the Loony Theory panel with an encore presentation.

2

Ishara: 2011-04-19

Brilliant. I particularly enjoyed the "Band" of the Red Hand. A true Looney Theory!

3

capnpadfoot: 2011-04-19

I particularly love the bit about the Horn of Valere and the Band of the Red Hand. I could totally see this happening if it weren't so, you know... loony ;)

4

BigBadWolfbrother: 2011-04-19

When does this musical hit Broadway?

5

Lorcin: 2011-04-19

Very original and we all know the song will play a part in the last battle.

Basically great on all fronts.

6

cindy: 2011-04-20

someone has to produce this. it could be almost as good as once more with feeling (the buffy musical).

excellent theory, one of the most enjoyable i've ever read.

7

kantoka: 2011-04-20

Great, GREAT job boys on this Theory. It was my favorite as soon as you said "Music" and Rand conducting an Orchestra with Callandor tops it off. By far Team Moiraine's fav pick. =)

Come back NEXT year and wow us again. And bring my boyfriend back. I know you took him.

-Team Moiraine #1

8

Paaran Disen: 2011-04-20

I have to agree the pulling Callandor out of his chest then conducting the remainder of the music defiantly tops this off. Not to be a party crasher, but if this were the song of life wouldnt Moridin be revived too? Sorry to distract from the funnyness. I will look into attending Jordancon next year :)

9

darortega: 2011-04-24

If a new member can add her two cents?

As soon as I read, "kill The Dark One with music", I thought of Rand's 'memory' while in the crystal rods in Rhuidion. I can't quote chapter & verse (or be sure of spelling) but there was mention of the original Aiel (100 of them?) holding an insane male Aes Sedai transfixed with a song.

A smalll sample of the power of The Song?

10

The Unreasoner: 2011-04-25

Love the theory: well argued, insane, effective.

11

Myth: 2011-04-26

It is ironic also because Jordan wrote music and often commented how he thought of musical pacing when writing. The fact that is cheesy not withstanding, it will be interesting to see how crucial a role the song plays in the last battle. We know Rand has it, and that it is important. We also know he is musical, will have Thom the masters aid, and Mat will have the Horn.

Great job guys, entertaining and realistic at once

12

Lorcin: 2011-04-26

"The three must become one" could they be referring to the one power, the true power and the Song being used to seal the Dark One.

In other theories someone said that the dark one could only be sealed by repairing the hole in the pattern ad clearly the one power alone doesn't cut it (well really only half as they only used men) and as Moraine said "A pattern of one colour is no pattern" and what better to repair the pattern then another pattern.

Also it just occurred to me that this maybe the reason for why the greatest feat (involving the one power) where created using both men and women. A pattern (usually involving air, water, earth, fire and spirit) is used to change reality, the greater the change the more powerful and complex the pattern needs to be. to seal the dark one more then one type of thread is needed.

Only just realised that I may just have taken a tiny bit of the funnyness from the theory but of it makes up of it I didn't cross check any of the quotes. Lol

13

jhon: 2011-05-11

Bardias ADO MPC is an association of small rice farmers and landless rural workers of Barangay Bardias in San Miguel, Bulacan. Originally it was composed of 62 active member of which almost half of the total members have already availed of the Crop Production Plan (CPL). The association was born out of the initiative of its incorporators who dream of doing something to help improve the quality of life of small rice farmers and landless rural workers.

The organization seeks to set up business, livelihood projects, to conduct training for members to upgrade the knowledge and skills and to coordinate with other agencies, both public and private in the implementation of different livelihood projects that will help upgrade the standard of living in the community.

The Officers of Bardias ADO MPC who are composed of respected personalities for Bardias are risk takers, conservative and prefer slow but sure growth.

14

Struan: 2011-05-17

Fantastic!!

If it doesn't hapen this way.....it should :)

15

TreeBrother: 2011-05-18

I like this theory a lot! A similar thought has come to me lately.

I was recently reminded of a part of the prophecy that goes something like "Let the Lord of the Morning sing to the earth, that green things may grow again...". Who would have a better memory of the songs that were sung to grow the Chora trees during the Age of Legends, besides Lews Therin/Rand al'Thor? Presumably this is the song the Tinkers have been searching for, during the last 3,000 years or so. I suspect the Tinkers will play an important role in the Last Battle, despite (or maybe because of) their non-violent way of life.

Then I thought of Rand's already new-found ability in ToM, to to make 'green things grow' wherever he goes. Doesn't this suggest that he could convert the Blight, and even Shayol Ghul into fertile farmland, orchards or abundant garden spaces?

It also occurred to me that there are still Treesingers among the Ogier (including Loial son of Arent). I recall in The Eye of the World (sorry I don't have the book to quote), after the Green Man died in the Blight, and became a withering tree, Loial was able to use Treesinging to bring the giant tree and the surrounding flowers back to life. If this can even happen in the Blight, to me it's further evidence that Song can be used to combat the Dark One's destructive touch on the world.

I certainly hope the power of Song will play an important part in achieving victory over the Shadow. It seems very believable. The Dragon will remember the Song, won't he? Wouldn't the memory of the Song be tied to the memory of the Light of the previous age? Why not?

16

perrin faile: 2011-05-29

it felt a bit loony some times,but it also rather made some sense sometimes.well some is good but i had to laugh at some.

17

nae77blis77: 2011-06-23

I find it surprisingly easy to believe. After all Verin being Black was a loony theory once upon a time.

18

Tearko Makisa: 2011-06-26

I do believe the song will have a big part in the final book. I believe that it will be used after the last battle though, when all is said and done. Side note, the only wot dream I have ever had in the past 13 years of reading the books was about the song. Everybody in my dream joined hands and started singing it. No words just sound. Eerie.

19

7hemistocles: 2011-06-26

I love The Wheel of Time series and I love this theory. Well done. I regret not joining this site a long time ago.

20

crudy: 2011-07-03

Is it my imagination or has there never been any mention of Aes Sedai singing, researching the song that the Traveling People seek, or having anything to do with music? I love this theory and think the solution/resolution is definitely in the Song.

21

hollowman: 2011-07-04

Mat created the "Band" of the Red hand for musical accompaniment. that part of this theory is wrong matt and the band will be in tarwins gap most likely or somewhere in the borderlands not in the blight or even close to shayol ghul sorry if misspelled. and the reason the band of red hand is so named is because of matts old memories i think something of autur hawkwing agian sorry if misspelled but about moraine and the rest I think that it will probably happen pretty much like that. i only skimmed over the theroy but so i don't know if anyone theorized this but here goes the three women with rand will be Moraine Nyneave and Alvia the seanchan girl former damane and the person that Nyneave is weeping over on the battle field or something like that isn't lan its rand he dies by morrdins hand the song brings him back and he fights the dark one.

22

Kamaul: 2011-07-07

@Hollowman #21

This was supposed to be a loony theory. Everyone knows that Mat did not create the Band of the Red Hand for musical accompaniment. He did not have a say in deciding the name at all.

23

JOS: 2011-07-07

The best jokes and the best lies all have a good measure of truth in them. I think we will be surprised by how much truth this "loony theory" actually has in it. Can evil really be beaten by force of arms and violence? Perhaps resisted, held off, coped with, but not defeated (unless we can turn evil against itself, I have been working on a theory regarding this for a while, a theory that has festered like the wound in Rand's side:). Just look at the future that Aviendha saw in ToM, the last battle was "won" but the world was a mess, full of death and slavery and of course, evil.

24

Ashaman Leyrann Gaidin: 2011-07-08

Wow, Jos, what you say: "The last battle was "won" but the world was a mess, full of death and slavery and of course, evil."

Maybe this happens if the DO is defeated by fighting, but not if the Song is used.

25

Raheem: 2011-07-08

In all due respects, the heaviness of that theory goes far, even in our own world. I don't know how much we here connect the age of legends with the mythical "Golden Age" or the "Age of Perfect Virtue" or any old society of our own world, but for all the sunken and buried, cyclopian pyramids, and all the song of our brainwaves, one could imagine that our own world needs to find this song as well.

26

Oden: 2011-07-12

"8. Moiraine is needed at the Last Battle because she has learned the lyrics to The Song through interactions with the Aelfinn and Eelfinn."

Does the song have lyrics? I thought that the song was just a deep mumbling with a rhythm

27

Ashaman Leyrann Gaidin: 2011-07-13

I looked it up (TSR 26), and there are no lyrics. Just, as you said, a deep mumbling with a rhythm.

28

JOS: 2011-07-13

I think what the Bards of Randland are driving at with point 8, in their semi-serious loony way, is that Moiraine learned The Song. Learning/knowing The Song is probably synonymous with "having The Voice" as was mentioned by LTT in the prologue of EotW. If it is not synonymous, then it could be related, and she might know how to find those with The Voice or cultivate The Voice in those with potential to do so, thus teaching them The Song.

Of course, this line of reasoning could all be bunk (though I think it is likely); all we know is that she and her knowledge are necessary to win at TG.

To point 5: The Band of the Red Hand could only sing "Dance with the Jak o' the Shadows" for accompaniment. I think it is the only song they all know, and they don't seem the type to have The Voice. I guess they could use their dragons to produce a wicked base line . . . I like the security detail, distraction, or otherwise occupied line of thought for the armies that will be present at TG.

29

Oden: 2011-07-14

The Voice should be what Loial has. To bad that a fewer number of Ogier has it. If Moiraine Sedai has learned to find humans with the Voice and teaches them the human version of Treesinging, then more Ogier might find that they have the Voice (the more the merrier?)

30

Khestra: 2011-10-02

Yuppers, this theory pretty much sums up my conclusions after my re-read, and as "loony" as it might sound, I think it's dead on.

Very nicely presented, too by the way!

31

lamara: 2011-10-16

In the prologue of The Eye of the World:

"The laughter cut off as if it had never been, and Lews Therin turned,seeming unsurprised. “Ah, a guest. Have you the Voice, stranger? It will soon be time for the Singing, and here all are welcome to take part.

Ilyena, my love, we have a guest. Ilyena, where are you?”

32

MatOdin: 2011-11-11

Though if we go back to Rand's "flashbacks" to the Age of Legends, the whole Tinker thing was started by Jenn Aiel searching for the "songs" that the Aiel sang during the Age of Legends.

thusly, it's obviously a CONCERT that everyone will be performing in. The Band of the Red Hand will be the opening act, with "Dance with Jak o' the Shadows", as Jos @ 28 said, followed by Rand n' co headlining with songs from their new album, "Aiel Songs from the Age of Legends"

33

Wlad: 2012-04-10

There's another clue in The Great Hunt but I dont have the book with me to quote it. Its the part when Rand, Lanfear, Loial and Hurin stop at the Sa'angreal in Cairhien. Rand describes the experience as "singing saidin" and the "song of saidin" in a bunch of ways if I remember correctly.

If this theory isnt the actual last battle, it should be.
Wlad

34

Thermionic: 2012-10-21

I could definitely see this happening, if it were written correctly.

35

El Min Dreada: 2012-10-26

For a loony theory, I really like it! Well argued. The "three must be as one" issue may not have to do with Callandor, after all. Now it refers to harmonizing. Possibly, it refers to men, women and Ogier harmonizing and singing as one.